"A Transformative Experience for Families"
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The first three episodes of TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK provide an enjoyable experience for children and adults. The series features decent art direction, exciting setpieces, and relatable characters for younger viewers. Our heroes instill a strong Christian-adjacent worldview. They value a strong nuclear family, teamwork between humans and robots, and working alongside a morally reformed Megatron. The show features light peril and robot violence. MOVIEGUIDE® recommends TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK to kids and families.
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TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK is a sci-fi action series streaming on Netflix. In rural Pennsylvania, Optimus Prime and his human allies awaken the “Terrans,” a new species of Transformers born on Earth. These newcomers, Twitch and Thrash, are adopted into the human Malto family—Twitch and Thrash bond with the Malto children while learning to be brave Autobots. Meanwhile, the human scientist Mandroid vows to vanquish every Transformer in existence. The series is loosely based on the “Generation 1” Transformers cartoon from the 1980s.
In the two-part pilot “Secret Legacy,” Optimus Prime and the Autobots intercept two rogue Decepticons at a factory. The plan is interrupted when a third faction, the “Arachnamechs,” swarms the Autobots and allows the bad guys to escape. Stumped, Optimus launches an investigation into the mysterious spider robots, which are artificial.
Meanwhile, the Malto family relocates to the fictional town of Witwicky, PA. Robby Malto, an excitable teenage boy, is frustrated with leaving his previous life behind in Philadelphia. His parents run a small farm. His mother is a park ranger who works closely with the Autobots, while his father cares for the crops. Against his parents’ wishes, Robby sneaks out and rides a bicycle back to “Philly.” His inquisitive younger sister, Mo Malto, tries to return him to the family.
Later, the Malto siblings stumble into a cave and activate a Cybertronian stone. They kickstart the creation of Twitch and Thrash, the first Transformers born on Earth. Twitch is an enthusiastic female bot that can morph into a flying drone. Her brother, Thrash, is impulsive and carefree and wields the form of a motorcycle. Moved by their child-like wonder, Robby and Mo agree to adopt Twitch and Thrash into their family. The Autobots welcome these newcomers but force them into hiding from the public.
The best aspect of TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK is its strong moral worldview. The Autobots are benevolent mechs who vow to protect humanity from evil. They value cooperation, truth, and mercy. Megatron, the perennial antagonist in most Transformers media, works alongside his former foes. Megatron has gone through a redemption arc off-screen, and Optimus fully accepts him. There’s no mention of Christianity or God, but the Autobots have a strong sense of justice and forgiveness.
Another bonus to TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK is its depiction of a strong family unit. Robby and Mo Malto live in a stable household with both parents. The kids and their parents love one another despite their frequent disagreements. The mother is a courageous park ranger who fights alongside the Autobots, while the father is a laid-back farmer with deep knowledge of Autobot culture. This bond is further strengthened when Twitch and Thrash enter the family. This “family unit” feels authentic and well-realized.
In part two of “Secret Legacy,” an evil scientist named “Mandroid” catches wind of the newborn Transformers. With his army of spider robots, Mandroid captures the robotic siblings to harvest their parts for research. Robby, Mo, their parents, and the Autobots band together to raid Mandroid’s hideout in a daring rescue mission to save Twitch and Thrash. The newly formed Transformers take out the robot spiders and save the town. Mandroid escapes, vowing to get revenge on the Autobots.
In the end, Robby gives his new rural life a chance, citing the prospect of hanging out with his robotic friends. Optimus Prime gives Twitch and Thrash permission to stay with the Maltos under the supervision of their mentor, Bumblebee. Robby and Mo vow to train the robotic teenagers in the ways of Earth. Twitch and Thrash promise to become not only great warriors but also productive members of the Malto household.
“Secret Legacy” is an excellent introduction to EARTHSPARK. It has captivating fight scenes, a decent sense of humor, and solid writing all around. The sibling bond between Robby, Mo, Twitch, and Thrash is nailed down to a “tee.” The four siblings act and play like real siblings despite two of them being robots. The art direction is colorful, and the animation is fluid. Unfortunately, it does not keep up this winning streak.
In episode three, “Moo-ving In,” Bumblebee imposes his “rigid” training method on his new cadets. He tries to “click” with Twitch and Thrash’s more spontaneous activities, but to no avail. Frustrated, Bumblebee destroys the barn fence and unleashes the cows onto the nearby train tracks. A high-speed train is fast approaching.
The one major drawback to EARTHSPARK is its moderate fantasy violence. The Autobots and Decepticons engage in hand-to-hand combat, firing laser weapons and throwing each other against various buildings. When transformed, the Malto siblings and their robot protectors drive at high speeds and fight many evil robots. Lastly, the main villain threatens to dismantle Twitch and Thrash for research. There is no blood or gore, but the violence is still present.
The first three episodes of TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK provide an enjoyable experience for children and adults. The series features decent art direction, exciting set pieces, and relatable characters for younger viewers. Our heroes instill a strong Christian-adjacent worldview. They value a strong nuclear family, teamwork between humans and robots, and working alongside a morally reformed Megatron. The show features light peril and robot violence. MOVIEGUIDE® recommends TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK to kids and families.
